Secret Admirers
by EmbraceDiversity
Summary: They knew and understood each other better than they did themselves. It was only natural that they'd fall in love with the same woman. They had shared everything together, why not the woman they loved? Birthday fic for Darth Taisha. AU. ItaHinaSasu.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: HEY, YOU GUYS THAT DON'T LIKE READING AN'S, YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ THIS.** I will feel no sympathy if you flame me and didn't read.

This is a birthday fic for Darth Taisha. She asked for either SasuHina or ItaHina. I asked her if she wouldn't mind it if I just combined them into a ItaHinaSasu(best of both worlds, rite?) and she seemed fine with it. With that said:

If you do not like fics where three people end up together, please to be clicking the back button.

This fic is an AU set in modern times. I might write a lemon for this but I'm not sure. I'm aiming to make this 3 chapters long but we all know what happened the _last_ time I said that. *snort*

I really hope you like this, Taisha.*keeps fingers crossed* **Unbeta'd.**

xxxxx

**1**

xxxxx

Sitting at his computer desk, Itachi smiled fondly as he watched his brother move around their apartment. One had to actually know Sasuke as well as he to see how the other man was fighting to keep a smile off of his face, the lighter than normal steps as he maneuvered around. Since the two brothers knew each other better than they knew themselves, it wasn't too difficult to see what was going on. It made Itachi happy, because this was a first for his little brother and it was fine time the moment had arrived.

"Who is she, otouto?" came the question from the older sibling. The younger stopped in the middle of the living room, his back turned.

Hesitation. Sasuke still did not turn to face his brother. "What are you talking about, aniki?"

The small smile widened. Oh, he _sounded_ perfectly calm and unemotional, but Itachi knew better. "You've been practically floating around the apartment, Sasuke. There is only one reason I can think of for this...unless you are into men...?"

"_No_, I'm not interested in men." The younger snapped and continued his path to the kitchen.

He was _still_ sensitive about that incident? "You know Sasuke, that –"

"I thought we agreed _that_ would never be mentioned again. _Ever_." He was scowling.

Itachi decided to drop it since he was more curious about the mysterious woman. He could always tease his brother later. "Very well. Will you tell me who she is, then? Since it is not a man."

A regal brow rose when his brother actually smirked at him. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

_Had it been that obvious?_ _Well, if I was able to determine that Sasuke had fallen in love, it wouldn't have been difficult for him to have done the same._ "Alright." The other blinked when Itachi didn't deny it. "We'll do this: One hint one guess until we get it. Sound fair?"

Dark eyes rolled and Sasuke turned to open the refrigerator. "Fine. You first."

"The person is female."

A snort. "Okay, you're going to be a dick about this." Smirking, he began setting up items to make a sandwich. "Since I can't make a guess off of that; I'll say that the girl is near my age."

Interesting. Sasuke's current fan club all consisted of girls his age but he dismissed all of them. When it came to women, both brothers disliked females hanging all over them and their every word. That really didn't leave many but it could also be someone that Itachi had yet to meet. He wasn't _that_ much into Sasuke's private life.

"This person is someone we are both acquainted with." Itachi said and as he said those words, both brothers – geniuses that they were – had very sinking feelings at their reactions. There was only one real reason for this: there were two females they knew and truly associated with.

Their mother, and Hyuuga Hinata. The latter was close to Sasuke's age. His brother's reaction – for Itachi truly did not go out and so Sasuke knew who he associated with and his habits – confirmed everything instantly.

Why Itachi hadn't realized it immediately was beyond him. Hinata was from the Hyuuga family and the Uchiha were loosely acquainted with them. Both brothers had always been somewhat fond of her, mostly because she had been the only female in _existence_ besides their mother that hadn't wanted into their pants growing up. She was kind, quiet, and kept to herself. Hinata and Sasuke had even gone to the same high school, although they ended up agreeing not to associate with each other due to his little brother's rabid fan girls.

They had never been overly close with her although they were all on first name basis with each other. They knew the little sister but she was too young and so never really interacted with her as they had with Hinata.

Besides that; the brothers shared the same views on just about everything. It only made sense that they would fall in love with the same woman.

All thoughts of sandwich making gone, Sasuke sighed. "When? Better yet, _how_?"

"Last year, company trip." Itachi supplied simply. "Although she does not work for the Hyuuga, she was sent to that one international conference in Osaka. We met there and since we knew each other, we spent the weekend together. Nothing serious, just things to pass the time. After that I have communicated with her more and I realized very quickly that my feelings were becoming less platonic. You?"

A shrug. He went back to making his meal. "I've always known her a little better than you since we went to the same school. I don't know, it just kind of hit me last month. She's friends with Sakura who's friends with Ino who's dating Naruto. So I see her around a lot."

How terrible. Itachi wasn't going to fight his brother over a woman; he didn't care how much he desired her. Family came first always; relationships could end anytime for any reason. It wasn't as if Hinata had ever expressed an interest in him, they were only friends. In fact, besides Naruto – and Itachi only knew this because Sasuke had complained every now and then – Hinata seemed to not be interested in _anyone_.

He almost wanted to say it was ironic that they would both fall for the only girl who had never liked them but he wasn't in the mood to be morbid.

Silence filled the apartment until Sasuke walked over with his sandwich and flopped down on their couch. He looked thoughtful. "If you want," he said after he was almost finished with his sandwich. "I'll back off. You've liked her for a while now, right? It's only been like a month or whatever for me."

Itachi frowned. "You know I would never do that, otouto. Knowing us, we probably feel equally about her, someone would get hurt and I would rather not do that to you."

"Hn." He continued to look thoughtful which caught Itachi's attention. What did his little brother have up his sleeve? "So we both like her."

Where was he going with this? "...Yes."

He shrugged and put his empty plate on the coffee table, turning to look at the older Uchiha. "Alright, let's both try and be with her."

"I'm sorry, _what_?" he blinked at Sasuke with obvious confusion and shock. He heard that wrong. "Are you referring to _sharing_ or in us both pursuing and allowing her to choose?"

"Sharing. Why not?" another shrug. "We've shared everything else all our lives and this is the first time we've ever had feelings for a girl; that's not coincidence. I mean, I don't mind because it's you."

"Sasuke." Obviously, his brother was going insane or something equally traumatizing. "Hinata isn't a _thing_. She's not clothes, a car, or an apartment. Those things you share, I agree, but –"

He was cut off when Sasuke snorted at him. "You've _never_ heard of three way relationships? There's things like 'vee relationships' and 'triads' where all three parties are consenting participants. Some even get 'married' but it's not really legal anywhere. As long as everyone's okay with it, why not? We both want her, if she falls for both of us then everyone goes away happy."

"...I..." Itachi frowned in confusion. "Sasuke, do I really want to ask how you know about this?" what in the world did his brother do on his off time to know some crazy stuff like that?

"I read." Came the flat response with a matching expression. "I don't see what the problem is if she's cool with it."

The older Uchiha couldn't believe what he was hearing and seeing. His brother truly didn't care? "Alright, let's say that there _are_ relationships like that out there –"

"There _are_. There are movements and organizations for it and everything. They even got flags and symbols and shit."

"Once again, I am not going to ask how you know that. Anyway, most _normal_ people do mind sharing other people."

Dark eyes rolled. "Normal people have threesomes all the time, you know."

A blink. "You're really serious about this." Itachi honestly couldn't wrap his head around it. "You are not concerned about favoritism, jealousy, vies for attention...children?"

"No to the favoritism, I stopped being jealous of you over anything after high school and I seriously doubt _we_ have to worry about one getting more attention than the other." He paused at the last bit. "As for children, would it really matter? If we're all together we're all raising the brat." He shrugged. "I don't really like kids but whatever. Yeah, I'm serious about this, so if it happens it happens. We're not stupid, aniki; if we get her neither of us would let her go. That's now how Uchiha operate."

"Uchiha normally don't _share_ either." He reminded his brother but in reality Sasuke's words weren't bothering him as he felt they should. It _should_ bother him that his brother was suggesting they share the same woman in a serious relationship but instead it felt almost natural. They would treasure her equally in their own ways and Itachi would never be jealous of his little brother nor was he insecure.

"Yeah well, we've been the exceptions so far." Sasuke sighed. "Look, as far as I see it, is both or none. Neither of us are going to go after her individually now that we know the truth."

Which was true. The two brothers were way too close for that. "You wouldn't be afraid that she would love one more than the other?"

"No." his brother gave him a look. "This is _us_, if she fell for both of us enough to agree, it'd be because she cared for us equally."

In short: Sasuke wasn't insecure enough to have doubts about Hinata's affections. Hands moved through long hair. "Otouto, let's say I were to agree to this insanity – and it is insane – she would actually have to fall in love with both of us. I do not see how that would be possible."

"Don't worry about that." Sasuke leaned back in the couch when Itachi looked up at him in confusion. "I have an idea. It's going to take a long time but if anyone can do this, it's us."

It would be easier if they didn't have to fight over the same woman and if he were honest with himself the situation really didn't bother him – it was just highly unlikely and crazy. The least he could do was listen, right?

"Alright, tell me this plan of yours."

xxxxx

"We've really got to stop meeting like this, Hyuuga." Sasuke gave her a look as he set a box down on her desk and handed her the electronic signature device. "I think ninety percent of our company's deliveries are to you."

Hinata tried not to sink down into her seat as familiar eyes all settled on her and the small package on the table. The gifts were always different but it was the letters that came with them that she truly treasured.

For almost a year and a half the young nurse had been receiving small packages by a mysterious admirer. At first it had only been letters, all poetic and very beautiful. She had been quite flattered in the beginning; now she wasn't entirely sure what she felt.

The 'stalker' theory had been disproved when it had been brought up because all the person did was write letters and send gifts. The letters had a return address but it was a P.O box. She had written back after a few months and then it became a series of back and forth. Of course, she hadn't told anyone that part, they'd think she was crazy.

The more she revealed about herself the more personal the gifts had become. Many of the medical books in her apartment were from them. The gifts were now usually practical; things that she liked or needed and she was always appreciative.

She also didn't tell the others that she was sure it was two people, not one. For one, there were always two letters – she didn't tell them that either, people were too nosey for her liking at times – and the handwriting and tone was different.

Hinata actually knew a good bit about them through the letters, considering. She knew for one that they both really cared for her but weren't confident enough to approach her. They never admitted whether or not they knew one another but she was almost positive at this point that they were. She knew their hobbies and some of their interests and honestly, her 'relationship' with them was about the same as an online friendship with someone unknown. They did not have names and for some reason giving them names seemed strange to her.

"I'm so sorry Sasuke...-san," she took the offered device and signed her name. It was hard sometimes to remember that she couldn't be so familiar around him when Karin and Ino were around. "You're always having to deliver these. I'm sure it's annoying."

He shrugged. "Not really. I mean, if the guy wants to spend crap loads of money sending you stuff through our delivery service, who am I to say no?" a brow rose. "It _is_ a guy, right?"

"It's a secret _admirer_." Ino chimed in, wrapping her arms around Hinata's shoulders from behind as she looked up at the Uchiha. "Little Hinata-chan's got herself a shy guy."

"He's probably ugly." Karin walked into the break room, grabbing a bagel from the small basket. "I mean, why else would he try to win her over with words and gifts? He's probably hoping when he finally does come out that the fact that he looks like he was beaten with the ugly stick won't matter to her." She snickered and looked over at Sakura, the head nurse for the hospital, who was trying hard not to laugh. "I mean seriously! A year and a half? Either he's a stalker or he's ugly as sin, I swear."

"I think it's two guys." Sakura chimed in and all eyes turned to her in surprise. She shrugged and took a sip of her coffee as she leaned against the counter "What? C'mon, have you guys actually _read_ those letters? The handwriting is different and it's like..." she waved a hand in the air. "One guy is more poetic while the other is more upfront but it's obvious he's just as in love with her."

Ino looked thoughtful. "You know...now that I think about it..."

"You've all been reading my letters?" Hinata squeaked the words out. "B-but I keep them locked in m-my desk and..."

"Don't underestimate the power of nosey girls." Sasuke said dryly, reminding the girls that he was, in fact, still in the room. "If it's gossip-worthy, they're all over it."

"Hey!" Ino stood up straight, putting her hands on his hips. "That's not _exactly_ true. C'mon Sasuke, you're a guy, what do you think?"

"You're asking _me_?" He sounded incredulous. "How should I know and why should I _care_? As far as I see it, Hyuuga's got it easy. At least it's only two guys, try a _horde_." He gave the pink-haired woman and the redhead looks at this and both pretended to find something on the far wall interesting. "She gets a few chocolates and flowers for Valentine's day; Itachi and I have to avoid the outside world or risk getting _raped_ by anything female within a fifty foot radius. You're all like those zombies from that one movie...the ones that run instead of shuffle. Except instead of wanting our brains you want in our pants."

Hinata giggled at this and she was shot a look by the Uchiha that showed he was not amused. Sakura choked on her coffee and Karin turned red at the accusation.

"We would never do something like that, Sasuke-kun!" Karin defended and walked over, wrapping her arms around his. He looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "Besides, it's more than just about getting in your pants."

"Yeah." He clearly did not believe her and was now trying to use his free hand to pry her off. "Whatever. I gotta go; I just dropped off Hyuuga's package first since she's technically a regular." Finally he was able to extract himself. "I guess I'll see you all this weekend if not next week for another delivery." He looked annoyed. "That idiot still wants to go to the club Friday, right?"

"Kiba's DJing for Ladies Night at Midori Rain." Ino supplied. "Naruto hasn't been but he's got a gig there next week so he wants to see the setup."

"Whatever." He gave the girls a half-hearted wave. "See ya. I've got actual _work_ to do." He closed the door right as they started shouting at him in mock outrage. Hands in pockets, the casually dressed Uchiha – he refused to wear the company's uniforms – walked out of Konoha General Hospital and headed towards the delivery van. A lot of companies went down due to economic strife but the Uchiha had been able to recover by investing in a delivery service. The Hyuuga had also suffered but their dojo's were renowned and so they were able to make a living off of that until they had been able to start up a small shipping company. Both once-rich families were slowly but surely getting back on their feet.

"Sasuke!" he turned as Hinata, package still in hand – she was probably afraid of the girls digging into it before she could – rushed over to him. He stopped halfway down the steps, his gaze impassive.

"What's up, Hinata?" no one was around so they were less formal with one another. The girls would become jealous so they tended to keep their distance.

"I um..." she paused, catching her breath. She was in scrubs that were littered with different colored crayons. With that were scribbled hearts and cute animals. Women. "I wanted to ask..."

"You wanted to ask...?" leaning against the railing in the middle, Sasuke tilted his head. "About what?"

She moved to poke her fingers, realized the package was preventing her from doing that so she looked down. "W-well...you and Itachi have a lot of admirers –"

"Obsessed stalkers." He cut in.

"and um," she continued as if he hadn't cut her off. "w-well what would you do in my shoes?" white eyes looked up at him with hope and he frowned at her.

"Get a restraining order?" he offered with a shrug but she shook her head, implying that he wasn't quite understanding her. "Alright, what am I missing?"

Opening her mouth, she moved to speak but stopped herself, looking back down. When he noticed her blushing he made a thoughtful noise.

"You like these guys." It wasn't a question.

"W-well...it's just..." with a small smile, she clutched the package closer to her chest. "Even though we don't really know each other physically, it's a-almost like um...those internet relationships? Where you fall for someone because of who they _are_ and not what they look like. So...w-what would you do if you liked your admirers? Like with my situation."

Leaning more against the railing he shrugged. "I don't know, I've never really liked anyone or thought about it. So you think it's two guys?" she nodded. "Do they know each other?"

"I um...I think they do. I mean, the letters are together with the packages so..."

"That's...kind of weird." Now she had his attention. "Well, wouldn't it be better to send them separately? I mean, if you're going after the same girl or whatever. It's kind of weird to write the letters together and send gifts side by side like that."

He had a good point and Hinata frowned. "W-well...maybe it is just one person..." but it didn't make sense. The words, tone, and handwriting were all different. In addition, only one gift was sent with the two letters. "It is a little weird. If they know about each other and they're sending the letters with the gift it's like...the gifts are from both of them."

Sasuke snorted. "So what, do they want you to hook up with both of them or something? Well, you said you haven't met them and it _has_ been over a year. Karin could be right about the ugly stick thing."

Why did she all of a sudden feel defensive? "I-I don't think so at all." He blinked at her firm tone. "It's just..." she had no idea. There were more questions than answers. If the gifts were from both of them and they obviously knew about each other, was it really a matter of them both wanting to be with her at the same time? It could be that they were hoping she would choose one of them but then they would send separate gifts, right? And they would have tried harder to separate themselves as individuals. "I'm...really confused."

A hand settled on her head and she looked up at Sasuke whose expression was a mixture of exasperated and pity. "You don't think they're jerking you around?" she shook her head and he gave her a look. "You're kind of trusting. You don't even know these guys."

"Well...I could get to know them better. I know...a little bit. I haven't really told the others but I've been writing them back. I'd like to really talk to them, it really does seem like they're just shy or uncomfortable with confrontations."

"Whatever." He looked bored "Look, I'm _really_ not the person to ask about this stuff, Itachi would probably be better. If you want to know what I think, maybe you should first find out if these guys are creepy stalkers and to do that you're going to have to do more than just write letters. Do e-mails or instant messenger or whatever. Get some real answers out of them and if you're not freaked out by them by then, do whatever you want." He looked at his watch. "I gotta go; I'm going to be late for the next delivery if I don't leave now."

"Oh..." with a sigh she gave him a small smile. "Well thank you for at least listening to me."

"Yeah, sure." He turned and picked up his pace to get to the van. As he drove off he hit a button on his cell phone that was hooked up to the speakers. Two rings later Itachi answered.

"Sasuke, is this important? I have a meeting in ten minutes."

"So," the younger Uchiha smirked. "The verdict is that we're either stalkers or we're so ugly we don't want to reveal ourselves."

He paused. "Hinata believes this?"

"Nah, the gossip brigade does. They've probably been breaking into her desk to read the letters. Hinata thinks we're shy."

"Well...that is a relief, at the very least. I think giving her the option to write us back was a good move."

Sasuke nodded, although it couldn't be seen. "Yeah. It made us seem less like creepy stalkers to her since it wasn't one sided." He shrugged "I think she wants to get to know us though, even though she knows there's a chance that we could be doing this together."

"Which we are. She is not unintelligent, the more we reveal the more she'll understand what we're doing." He sighed. "I would like to say that even though I'm only thirty one, this past year and a half I am positive I've aged ten years because of this."

"That's because you don't think it'll work."

"I don't think Hinata would be comfortable with being with both of us at the same time, no."

The smirk widened. "Yeah well, you didn't see the look on her face. She was blushing. Not at one set of letters, _both_ of them. She wants to know _us_, not just one. We just have to do it perfectly; I really think it'll work. I don't think we'll have to compromise our feelings."

"Then you are more optimistic than I, otouto."

"No, I just know we're that good, that's all. Anyway, I'll let you go. I dropped some hints for her; she'll probably be sending us an e-mail address at the very least."

"Truly?" he made a thoughtful noise before sighing again. "I must be losing my mind." He muttered, realizing what his reaction entailed. "Remind me never to do another insane scheme like this with you again."

"Duly noted, aniki." He hung up.

xxxxx

**Redi00U has signed on.**

**Reds01U has signed on.**

**LavenderxLilacs has signed on.**

_Am I really doing this?_ She asked herself as she sat on her bed with her small laptop. She didn't actually use it for much; her sister had gotten it for her last year for her birthday. She had a desktop but she lived with her sister in their little apartment and Hanabi was nosey.

About a month ago she had asked if she could start corresponding with her 'admirers' through means other than letters. They had given her those sign on names early on but she had been too nervous to log on and speak to them. She had been doing a lot of thinking ever since she had decided that these two individuals knew each other and yet were obviously trying to woo her at the same time. What did that mean? She wasn't entirely sure if she wanted to know the answer to that.

The crazy part was that over the past year and a half, writing letters back and forth to them had made her develop...feelings. The letters in the beginning had been standard letters of love and endearment, things that admirers would normally say. Once she began writing them back, however, it was almost as if she had become pen pals with them. It became less about declarations of love and more of them wanting to know more about her. Her likes, dislikes, interests, even mundane things like how her week went.

To anyone else, the letters would probably be boring but to her, they were priceless treasures. No one had ever wanted to know _her_ the way they had and it seemed that everything about her was just as priceless to them. She had never really believed those stories about relationships that began before the individuals even physically met but now she wasn't so sure. She needed some answers first, some confirmations.

**LavenderxLilacs: ** Hello. I'm sorry it took me so long to come online.

**Redi00U: ** Good evening. It is alright, we understand.

**Reds01U:** We're actually surprised you wanted to do this.

She bit her lip, wringing her hands nervously before she replied.

**LavenderxLilacs:** Well I just...you've done so much but I don't really know anything about you two besides your interests and things you do for fun. I actually wasn't even sure if you were two different people until recently.

**Reds01U: **We didn't want you to separate us, that's why we did it like this.

**Redi00U:** We understood this situation would be highly uncomfortable for most individuals. We felt it important to take things slow and reveal ourselves bit by bit when we felt you were comfortable enough.

**LavenderxLilacs:** So...you really _are_ two different people?

**Redi00U:** Yes.

**Reds01U:** That's right.

**Redi00U:** Hinata, it's obvious at this point that you will need some answers from us or you will become seriously uncomfortable. You can ask us anything you wish with the exception of who we are. We will try to answer as honestly as we can.

Well, that seemed fair enough. If they were shy it would make sense, but there was something struck her as odd. They seemed a little too confident for it to be a self-esteem issue.

**LavenderxLilacs:** Alright. Um, is the reason you don't want to tell me your names is because I know you?

**Reds01U:** We've...met.

**Redi00U:** We met and associated with you prior to revealing our feelings via letters.

So she possibly knew them? That was actually exciting. There was the possibility that they were just random strangers that she had met briefly, but she didn't think so. Too much thought and effort was put into ensuring that she didn't think they were out to hurt or stalk her. Maybe she knew them; maybe they were even a friend of hers. The only problem was that she wasn't sure how she would feel if her guy friends wanted to be with her like that.

**LavenderxLilacs:** Just so I understand all of this...you two want to be with me...at the same time?

**Reds01U:** I'll go ahead and just answer 'yes' for both of us because I know it'll lead into a series of questions involving it.

**LavenderxLilacs:** I don't really understand. You're both fine with it?

**Redi00U:** We are fine with whatever manner you would allow us to be in your life. If you wished only to be friends, that would be fine with us.

**LavenderxLilacs:** You're not worried that I could, um, like one more than the other?

**Reds01U:** No. If you did, then we will be content to being your friend. We've made our feelings clear; we both feel exactly the same way about you.

**Redi00U:** Before we decided to do this, we both discussed it at length. We felt that just coming out with it would have been counterproductive. To us, we would both love and care for you as if we were one. We will understand if that isn't appealing to you but we had felt that we should at least try. This is not a matter of two men wanting to 'try out' something new. If, by the time this is all over, you decided to accept us; it would be nothing short of a serious relationship.

It was a lot for her to take in and the fact that she was actually _seriously_ considering it was what stunned her the most. Maybe it was because of how they were going about it. Every step, every choice was hers to make. It was just...so socially unacceptable.

**LavenderxLilacs:** Aren't you afraid of what people will say?

**Reds01U:** Not afraid, but it would probably upset us if someone were to say something bad about you because of it.

**Redi00U:** Our relationship can be as public or as private as you would like. If you do not wish for anyone to know, then they will not. The bottom line is that _we_ are fine with whatever you wish to do, this includes all the controversy and meddling that would come with it. We will not think you loose or easy; we would not have wasted our time this past year and a half if it was like that.

**LavenderxLilacs:** You two must be very close.

**Redi00U:** We are...best friends.

**Reds01U:** You don't have to rush or feel pressured to do anything. We're glad that you wanted to speak to us like this and that's all it has to be.

**LavenderxLilacs:** I...would like to speak to you more often. Maybe even over the phone? I don't really know what to say about all of this. Your letters, your gifts, they've always made me so happy. Even though it's crazy I actually do...like you both.

**Reds01U:** Talking over the phone would be nice. From here on, we'll be as upfront about ourselves as we can without actually revealing who we are. You're the first person we've ever held these types of feelings for. If there's a chance you'd eventually agree, we'll wait however long that takes.

**LavenderxLilacs:** Will I ever be able to meet you?

**Redi00U:** When or if you ever feel comfortable with us we will be more than happy to reveal ourselves. You will probably come to some sort of conclusion some day and when you do, you will want to meet us to confirm your feelings. That is when you will discover our full identities.

But until then she could take as much time as she wanted to get to really know them beyond the beautiful letters and thoughtful gifts. They had waited a year and a half just to get to this point – Hinata knew they were serious. Although she had fallen for their words and the feelings behind them, being with two men – she was assuming – at the same time was just...different. Strange. But they had gone through such lengths; she didn't want to make a hasty decision now that she understood their intentions.

They were all adults – she sincerely hoped – and they knew what they wanted. She let out a small breath.

**LavenderxLilacs:** Okay. I want to get to know you both. I'm still not sure about much but I'd like that at least.

After that she was given only one number and was told that if she ever called, they would speak to her together. She logged off shortly after, a little lost in thought. Were relationships like this even possible? With a sigh, she clicked on the button for Google and decided to do some research. If she was going to even consider it, she wanted to know what she would be walking into.

They were right; had they approached her immediately she would have shied – fled like a bat out of hell – away. Instead, they had both pursued her as if they were one. They both equally made her feel loved and cherished as secret admirers. They had eased her into the prospect and now that it was all out in the open, she found herself unable to reject the concept outright as she would have prior.

"Triad relationships..." she whispered as she took in the results. Her eyes widened. "These things...really exist?"

Now she was _really_ curious.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Posting these up as I finish. I'm hoping to have the fic completed before Darth Taisha's birthday this week.

I got a lot of positive reviews which is awesome, thanks so much. For those who don't mind more mature(NC-17 type), things, most of the prompts I received for the Advent Challenge on Live Journal(there are 25 of them) were mostly of that nature. From the 1st until the 25th of December I'll be posting a 500-1000 word prompt on LJ. All of them are Naruto although the pairings vary. There are a few that are not so mature, and I'll post them up here when the time comes. There's a few ItaHina, ItaHinaSasu and what have you.

Thanks again for the awesome reviews, you guys are the best.

xxxxx

**2**

xxxxx

Weeks went by with the three of them chatting either on messenger or even over the phone. Their voices always sounded familiar to her but she had been unable to place it.

"Do you want us to stop writing and sending gifts?" one of them had asked her two weeks after she gained the courage to speak to them on the phone. "You've been saying that your co-workers have been breaking into your desk."

"We don't really care if anyone reads them," the other came in over the speaker "because we don't have anything to hide; but it seems like it makes you uncomfortable."

"It's okay. I love the letters you have sent me...but I don't mind this or e-mails either." She paced her little bedroom, smiling warmly. They were always so concerned about her and making sure that nothing they did would upset or make her back off. They were so sweet; every time she spoke to them over the phone her face would be bright red for hours.

Nothing romantic was brought up again after that initial night unless she brought it up. Instead, they communicated as if they were all just friends getting to know more about each other. They always asked about her day, how she was doing. Their laughter, while rare, was a beautiful thing to hear. Sometimes, if she was feeling a little low about herself that day, they would say flattering things. It was different from a wooing attempt, however.

Different because it was said straight out, as if they were making a simple observation. Although they had never come right out and said it, they thought she was perfect exactly the way she was. The one thing she was beginning to question was their confidence-issues.

It was clear that the reason they didn't want her to meet them had nothing to do with their issues but rather with hers. They knew exactly what they wanted from her and it was simply a matter of waiting for her to say one way or the other. It forced her to change her view a bit and questions that had no answers emerged.

Hinata was convinced at this point that the two males had known _exactly_ what they had been doing when they started this. It hadn't been an issue of two men fumbling around; the plan to get her to this point seemed to have been the objective from the beginning. It made her realize that they really were serious about her. They had known the obstacles they would face and had acted accordingly.

Knowing that actually put her fears at ease a bit. If they were truly that devoted and serious, it made it feel like she wasn't jumping into something crazy so much. Oh, it was still crazy, but reading up on the subject had been stunning.

There were many polyamorus relationships out there and while many didn't work out well due to various circumstances, the concept of it was sound. It was an agreement between all three individuals to be in a relationship together, no one was left in the dark about anything.

The people were normal, everyday individuals in any other type of normal relationship...except a third person was involved. The three could go out and do things, or two, or whatever struck their fancy. Movies, dinner, it was as normal or as 'kinky' as they made it – the same with any relationship. Everything about the relationship _had_ to be agreed on by everyone; it was supposed to be as equal as with any other 'normal' relationship.

When she sat down and read what it should be and what people sometimes turned it into due to their own misunderstandings and misconceptions, Hinata had a feeling that if she decided to agree their relationship would be the ideal definition. There were some things she wanted to know, but was still a little afraid to ask.

That was fine with them, it seemed. They conversed with her only under friendly pretenses and it truly did seem that they were content with just friendship if that was what she wanted. She still had no idea what she wanted, even though she spoke to them on a constant basis now.

She loved just talking to them. They were so intelligent and their voices always sounded genuinely warm and interested. They even teased her occasionally and it felt so _normal_ being with them like that. When she told them that they could call her after her shifts her heart would skip a beat when they did. It wasn't all the time, for it did seem that they also had lives and weren't obsessively dedicated to her that they would neglect it.

Hinata wanted to meet them so badly. As the weeks pressed on and she grew closer to them over the phone and messenger she felt a strong desire to do the things that she had read about. To perhaps try to go on a date with them to see how it would be like. To just sit and talk to them face to face as she would over the phone. Their voices were smooth and deep; she had to admit she wanted faces to go with those voices.

They couldn't _possibly_ be ugly with voices that could melt a woman on the spot. Even if they were it wouldn't bother her, because they genuinely cared for her and that made her truly happy. But good gods those _voices_. It was one of the reasons she would be so red after talking with them. Men that sounded that amazing should be illegal.

"I was wondering something..." she walked over to the window sill and sat down. White eyes looked out the window into the dark night. When they didn't respond she took that as her cue to continue. "Is it...just me you want to be with?" biting her lip, she curled up, hugging her knees. They hadn't spoken about 'them' since that night. "I read sometimes that in these kind of relationships, um, sometimes they want to bring in more people but casually. Not really –"

"No." the one who seemed to be the more upfront came in almost sharply. "We care about _you_ and we trust each other. I know what you're talking about and no, that will _not_ happen."

"It is difficult to explain," the other came in and it actually sounded as if he was frowning in thought in an effort to word himself properly. "We are, for the most part, monogamous individuals. We simply ended up falling in love with the same woman...but our feelings on relationships have not changed. We would never cheat on you and it would hurt us equally if you cheated on us."

A small sigh of relief left her and she blushed horribly when they chuckled lightly.

"You're the only one we want to be with. The only person we've _ever_ wanted to be with."

"O-oh..." there they went again with those words that made her feel so beautiful and cherished. She wanted to know more; needed to know exactly what she would be getting into with them if she decided to take 'that' step. "You said...you wanted nothing short of a serious relationship...w-what about um..." she began to stammer at the words, embarrassed to even speak them.

"Marriage and children?" one supplied. "Unless you are referring to something else."

"N-no...that...I mean I just..."

"Legally, if you wanted to do something like that it'd be impossible. You'd either have to marry one of us or we could just all live together and be content with that. There's unofficial marriages, if you're not bothered by it not being legally recognized. As for kids..."

"That would be completely up to you." The other supplied. "To us, it will not really matter who the 'true' father is, as the child would be loved equally. However, if you wished to know, we would be fine with taking a paternity test. You will never have to worry about us being jealous of one another. Our...friendship has never worked like that. If you wanted to become legally married to one of us the other would not feel slighted or offended."

"So..." she wanted to make sure she had this fully understood. "No dating other people."

"No."

"Absolutely not. There is only one person we wish to be with and that is you."

She had to put a hand on her chest to still her heart. The things they said to her sometimes... "A-and if we start a family it'll be a family...no one would be upset?"

"We would not, but it is something you should seriously consider. If a child having two fathers bothers you then..."

"Well..." she looked thoughtful. "There are plenty of men that raise children together..."

"We're _not_ gay, Hinata." The other came in abruptly. "That's the difference. We wouldn't be adopting a child either."

"O-oh."

"Hinata...we truly will understand if all of this bothers you too much...that is why we haven't said anything since. We truly _are_ content with just being your friend."

"I-if I just wanted that...to be friends...would you still tell me who you are?"

Silence lingered for a moment on the other line.

"Yes." They both said finally.

"I w-want to meet you." She blurted out, surprising herself. "I just...I've read a lot on it. I've read other people's stories. A lot of them were bad...some were good. But I want...I can't really say I want to do this if I don't really understand how things would be."

"Alright, so you want to go on a date with us. That's basically what you're saying."

Was she? She had to admit that she was _very_ curious as to how it would work. Curious and excited, because she really wanted to know who they were and if she knew them. "Yes...I think so."

She could practically sense their unease. "Are you sure? You do not wish to wait a little longer? Meeting us will...change much."

That made her pause. "I...I actually know you." There was no reason for him to have said that otherwise. They had mentioned a while ago that they had met, but if meeting them would actually make something significant happen, it was because she knew them on a personal level.

More hesitation. "Yes. You know us."

They were uncomfortable. No, they were _worried_. She wondered if it was because they didn't think she was ready to know the truth just yet. "Will I be mad?"

One chuckled but only with slight humor. "We hope not." A sigh "We know you well enough to know you're probably not going to take 'no' for an answer if you're asking to meet us."

"You told us your days off were Thursday, Friday, and Sunday." The other male, the one that seemed to be the reserved and poetic of the two, sounded very uncomfortable. "If you wish, this Thursday we can meet at the park near where you work at six."

Hugging her knees tighter, she felt mixed. They were uncomfortable because they felt that it was too soon, meaning that they felt she would reject them. Hinata wasn't sure how she felt about this, but hearing them unsure and vulnerable for the first time made her want to reassure them. She wouldn't ask just to walk out and reject them immediately. The fact that things had gotten as far as they had should say something to them. At least, that's how she felt.

It was only Sunday, so she would have a few days to make a decision. There weren't too many people she could approach about the situation that wouldn't flip out or tell everyone. Or both. She did, however, need some advice.

"Can you...give me until tomorrow to decide?" she began to trace patterns in the window idly.

"You may take as much time as you need, as always."

There was really only one person she could approach who would be completely open minded about her situation. She wanted to meet them. She wanted to know the truth...but she also wanted them to feel like they weren't making a mistake. To do that, she would need to feel more confident over the situation overall. Advice was necessary at this point.

"Thank you. I'll, um, call you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Hinata."

xxxxx

"Do you love them?" her friend since middle school, Aburame Shino, asked her. "Why? Because looking at these letters and listening to your story, it would seem that they are serious. If you do anything, it should be as equals."

White eyes blinked "I-it really wouldn't...bother you...?"

Adjusting his shades on his nose, her friend tilted his head, dark brows furrowing slightly. "Should it? You have never given me a reason to believe you are anything but who you are. That person being intelligent and kind. As long as you are happy, that should be all that matters. Obviously, these two feel the same way."

Sitting outside at her favorite café, she poked her fingers together, looking down. Hinata thought back on his initial question and found she had no answer. Yes, she had been 'speaking' to them for a very long time but she wasn't sure if she could claim that she was in love. _They_ knew her, so their feelings made sense. She knew them but she didn't _know_ them, not personally. Well, she did know them but they wouldn't reveal themselves. So could she love them then because...

"Hinata." Shino put a hand on hers lightly when she swayed a bit, brain overloading with confusion. The corners of his lips twitched upward. "What do _you_ want?"

The question snapped her out of her reverie "What I...want?"

"You want someone to tell you that you are doing the right thing, but in the end, your feelings and actions can only be validated by you. If what everyone else thinks means more to you than that, you should give up. Why? Because it is not good for _any_ relationship if others must approve for you to be comfortable and happy with that person."

She considered his words, realizing he was right. Her biggest fear had absolutely nothing to do with her feelings and everything to do with how everyone around her would see her as a person. _Logically_, there was no real way she could tell everyone, it wasn't socially acceptable and that was reality. She tried to listen to Shino's words and dismissed any and all fears that involved outside forces.

Hinata's personal biggest fear was that if she met them she would fall for one over the other. It had yet to happen through other means but their personalities could be completely different from what had been presented all this time.

There was nothing for it; she would just have to meet them. She wouldn't be able to make a decision otherwise. She smiled warmly at her friend. "Thank you Shino-kun. I don't know if I love them; I'll need to meet them before I decide on anything so...that's what I'll do."

xxxxx

Nibbling on her bottom lip – if she didn't stop that she'd have to reapply her strawberry flavored lip gloss – Hinata nervously walked the path to the park, her heeled boots clinking softly on concrete. Slender fingers picked at the thick white belt resting on her hips. Her top looked like a dark beige trench coat that flared out at the hips to rest along the somewhat puffy white skirt that stopped just above the knees. The skirt itself had a few see-through ruffles drifting down the middle. She was wearing black tights, beige knee-high socks and brown calf-high boots. Her hair was pulled over one shoulder and tied at the middle, the rest hanging down in thick curls.

"_We will both be by the large sakura tree in the middle. We will both be dressed in black coats with red silk shirts."_

Her heart was pounding as she entered the park's gates. Gloved hands rested over her chest briefly as if that would calm it down. The plan was to meet up, see a movie and then dinner. She couldn't get over her excitement; mostly because she wanted to know just _who_ these two were and how she knew them. It had been eating at her ever since she had learned it.

No one else knew about her date except Shino and that was how she wanted it to stay. Maybe _way_ down the line she would _maybe_ tell Sakura, but that was it. Besides, going on one date wasn't going to set anything in stone. For Hinata, this was just the very beginning.

It was late afternoon so there weren't as many people around. Many individuals were going home although there were a few couples walking together or walking their small dogs. Clutching her tiny purse, she continued on through the park towards the large sakura tree that was the most popular spot during the spring.

She saw the black clad men up ahead and her steps faltered for just a second before she took a breath and kept moving. Their backs were turned to her; both men had their hands in their pockets. The closer she got the more familiar they seemed to be to her. They were both roughly the same height although one was a little wider along the shoulders. The hair...

Wait. The larger man's hair...she _knew_ that hairstyle...

"Oh!" she cried out as someone on roller blades almost slammed into her. Shifting her body skillfully away, Hinata frowned when the person didn't even apologize or look back. How rude. Letting out a small breath she turned to look at the two men and started, eyes widening to saucers.

Standing there with blank expressions were the Uchiha brothers; Itachi and Sasuke. One was wearing a long black coat while the other had opted for something a bit more standard. Both had on red silk shirts and there was _no way_ her brain was properly connecting what she was seeing.

This wasn't right. These couldn't possibly be them...could it? Sasuke had delivered the packages but he had always seemed uncaring and oblivious...

_Of course he is if he's trying to hide his identity!_ She mentally scolded herself. But it just...made no sense. Neither male had ever expressed an interest in any girl although they could easily have anyone they wanted. Itachi she hardly saw at all so he couldn't be _in love_ with her. None of this added up!

The brothers looked at her stunned expression and looked at each other. Sasuke shrugged and then turned to look at his date, a small smirk emerging. It wasn't his normal cocky smirk, this one seemed a bit warmer, if not teasing. "Hey, Hinata." He greeted.

Her mouth opened and she pointed at him. "Y-you..."

The smirk turned to a grin and he looked as if he was trying not to laugh. "Yeah."

She looked over to Itachi who still was keeping a straight face although his dark eyes were shining with equal amusement. "A-and you...?" he nodded at the question and finally a smile graced his beautiful features.

There was no way. Clearly she had lost her mind or taken some sort of hallucinogen without knowing it. That had to be it because these were not just any men, they were...

Sasuke's smile dropped when he saw her gaze become unfocused and she swayed slightly. He knew that look. He had seen it many, many times in regards to a certain blonde haired idiot during high school.

"Shit, aniki –" he burst into movement. "Itachi she's going to..."

He managed to catch her right as her face turned crimson and she fainted.

xxxxx

"...told you we shouldn't have..."

"...much we could do...Hinata..."

"Hn. She's waking up, finally."

She was warm. Warm and so very comfy. Whatever she was resting against was really soft and smelled really nice. Smiling, she let out a contented sigh as her hazy mind slowly began to return to the land of consciousness. Eyelashes fluttered open and she took in her surroundings.

It was dark and she was outside. The park? Yes, she was at the park. Why was she at the park? Oh, that's right. She was supposed to meet someone here.

"Hinata?" the voice was smooth, soft, and very familiar.

Frowning, she tilted her head up and looked into obsidian eyes. Their faces were very close, if he leaned in just a bit more their lips would brush. He had somewhat angular features, long silky hair that was tied back with bangs framing his face. His smile was warm although he looked a bit concerned.

Fingers brushed along the side of her face to pull some of her hair behind her ear and she turned her head to the other side. Identical dark eyes looked at her with warmth and affection she had never thought was even possible on him. He smirked.

"Told ya you should have waited." The younger Uchiha said to her, shaking his head lightly. "You're so stubborn sometimes."

Then she noticed that the 'soft' thing she was leaning against was none other than the two brothers themselves. They were sitting against the tree and had her propped up against them. They did smell wonderful, smoky and bright – if that was an actual smell. Besides her leaning on them they were not touching her. They both seemed to be a little amused.

"Are you feeling alright?" Itachi asked her, shifting away from his brother as she sat up and turned her body so that she was somewhat facing them.

They both looked so wonderful and she was quite dumbfounded at this revelation. Since words were failing her she settled for nodding at Itachi's question.

"Can you stand?" she nodded again and the three of them stood, hands on her shoulders to keep her steady.

"We really didn't want to do this so soon," Sasuke admitted and let go of her arm when she seemed steady enough. "We had a feeling this would happen." He rolled his eyes. "I know we're _amazing_, but fainting..."

The tease had the intended effect and Hinata snapped out of her stupor, giving her friend a look. "Th-that's not it..." biting her lip, she looked away and resisted the urge to poke her fingers together. She wasn't about to continue to look silly in front of them. "It's just...I never would have thought..."

"We did not either." She looked over at Itachi. "We have known our feelings for roughly two years and you are the first and only woman we have held feelings for. We are not exactly young, so it was also unexpected for us. We don't regret it, because we learned more about you than we had ever known during our exchange."

Her face turned red at his words. "You two...really...l-love me?" it didn't sound logical or possible, especially with _both_ brothers.

The two looked at each other for a moment before glancing back at her. Sasuke moved first, walking ahead a few feet before putting his hands in his pockets. "If we hurry, we'll be able to make it before the previews end."

Confused, Hinata was about to speak up when something warm enveloped her hand. Fingers interlaced with hers and she looked up at the older Uchiha who smiled slightly.

"The movies." He elaborated. "About twenty minutes passed from when you had fainted." She gasped in alarm and he squeezed her hand reassuringly. "It's fine, we still have time."

And so the three of them walked down to the theaters. Sasuke kept a bit ahead of them while she walked hand in hand with Itachi, feeling a myriad of emotions. Mostly nervousness, but 'giddy' and even 'excited' were in there.

Her admirers were none other than the Uchiha brothers. Their claims of being best friends made sense now. She was so out of it that self-doubts and other insecurities took a back seat to the current situation. All of those beautiful words, all those gifts; they had come from these two men. Hinata knew them definitely, but putting everything together made her feel like she was meeting them for the first time.

They had always come off as being unapproachable or plain not interested in the fairer sex – or in Sasuke's case human contact in general. As she walked with them, she realized that probably no one truly knew the two save for very few people. People that they trusted and cared deeply for.

And she was one of those people.

She picked a movie that had a lot of action along with romance to the brothers' surprise. Hinata wanted to roll her eyes at them; not _every_ girl wanted to go and see cheesy romance movies. She had laughed at their silliness and had been given a funny look from both of them, which had only made her giggle even more.

Just like that, Hinata relaxed. It was really only because the 'little' that she had learned about the two was, in actuality, a lot. They were so closed off and distant towards everyone but knowing what she did made them seem more down to earth. For a year and a half she had gotten to know who they _really_ were, what was truly under the stoic façade.

Since they were going to dinner they didn't grab any snacks and so headed to find seats. The movie wasn't a new one so there weren't a lot of people, just the way Hinata liked it. Unlike everyone else who would rush to see a movie premiere, she would actually wait until it was about to leave theaters. She disliked crowds just as much as the Uchiha did.

Itachi did not let go of her hand during the movie, in fact, once they had sat down in the middle row Sasuke had taken her other hand. The gesture actually embarrassed both of them, who weren't really used to being affectionate or receiving affection. It had taken a lot for her to actually pay attention to the movie and not to the way her hands felt in theirs; how _she_ felt sitting like this with them.

Itachi, who seemed to be perfectly fine with displaying affection without a blush to show for it, began to move his thumb along her wrist idly. When she timidly returned the gesture she caught the small smile that emerged briefly, although he did not look at her.

After the movie it was Sasuke who held her hand as they walked to the restaurant nearby while Itachi walked ahead. It did not take her long to understand what they were doing, and it also answered the question she had earlier concerning their feelings for her. Instead of explaining it through words, they were doing it through actions.

The place was nothing fancy, just a quaint and small Italian restaurant. Very little was said between them but it wasn't necessary. They spoke all the time; they knew all of the small nuances about each other's daily lives for the most part. She knew that normally around this time Itachi would either be doing paperwork or reading. Sasuke would also read or would be out taking a long walk.

Like her, they didn't do much but seemed content with living a quiet, stress-free life. They did not need much, asked for less and preferred to stay out of the limelight.

_We complement each other so well..._ she thought briefly, looking up at the two from her plate. Two sets of dark eyes settled on her but she shook her head at their slight inquisitive gaze. Smiling, she looked back down at her dinner, feeling oddly at peace.

Once again it was Itachi who was at her side after dinner. After glancing at her for a moment he put an arm around her shoulders instead of taking her hand. Blushing heavily, she leaned into him and gave Sasuke a funny look when he shook his head and looked amused by her antics.

They really weren't jealous of one another and that was a huge relief. They couldn't be open about the true details of their first date but it truly did not seem to bother them.

"So," Itachi looked down at her, amused. "Are we as ugly as the rumors say?"

Hands flew to her mouth as she spluttered, instinctively wanting to apologize for her co-worker's rude behavior. The younger sibling started chuckling lightly.

"It took so much for me to not start laughing..." he said to them. "Considering how obsessed Karin is with me, I almost wanted to tell her the truth just to see the look on her face."

Hands still over her mouth, the Hyuuga giggled. "She would have died right on the spot."

"After convulsing and foaming at the mouth, yeah." He actually – to her complete surprise as he did this for no one – opened the door for the two of them as they entered her apartment complex. "I'm just glad Ino's dating Naruto, one less fan girl." He inclined his head at his brother. "Aniki's not so lucky."

The subject of the conversation sighed softly, his hand resting lightly on her lower back as he guided her inside the elevator. "Many of the administration I have are female. In addition, there are a few company heads or executives like ours that are female. My e-mails are never ending and perhaps fifteen percent of them are actually business oriented."

"Oh..." her heart went out to him. "I'm so sorry..."

He shook his head. "It's quite alright. It's always been like that for us, we're used to it even if we don't enjoy it."

"It was nice to actually _pursue_ someone instead of being pursued." Sasuke added, leaning against the back of the elevator, arms crossed. "We never really had a type or a preference because we had thought we had seen and met every kind of girl you could meet."

She regarded the two of them. "Is that why you like me? Because I'm not like the other girls?"

"That's a small part of it." The elevator stopped at the fifth floor and the three of them exited. Her apartment was actually two doors down. When they arrived Sasuke shifted, gently grabbing her wrist. Itachi's arm had dropped from her shoulders but he was standing very close. "Aniki could probably explain it better."

"We both were able to get to know you a little better in our own ways," Itachi took her hand and her heart began to pound at the close proximity of both males and their intense gaze. It was one thing to have one of them look at someone like that but both? It was a miracle she hadn't had a mental meltdown. "And we fell in love with you. But then we actually began to truly get to know you through the letters and things changed.

"In short, it is everything about you that we find endearing. That is why we will wait as long as we must. Because we have been exposed to so many different types of women we know that someone like you..." turning to face her, white eyes widened as fingers brushed along her cheek. Before she could process another thought soft lips brushed lightly along hers in the faintest of kisses.

He pulled away and as he did Sasuke closed the distance, mimicking the chaste kiss. Instead of pulling back immediately, his words were whispered along her lips. "Someone like you comes once in a lifetime." He finished the sentence and also pulled back. "And we're not stupid. If we don't have to let you slip through our fingers we won't." he gave her a half hearted wave. "See ya, Hinata."

With a small nod, the older brother turned to leave as well. "Good night, Hinata. Thank you for agreeing to meet with us. It was a wonderful evening."

Hinata completely ignored her sister's line of inquiry as she floated into the apartment and locked herself in her room. Hands over her burning face she slid down to the floor and failed at trying to keep her heart from pounding. Their words echoed in her mind and she sighed, feeling too many things at once to classify it into any one thing.

The only thing she was able to grasp onto was that whatever her feelings were; she felt it towards both of them.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Sorry this came out later than expected. One more chapter to go!

xxxxx

**3**

xxxxx

"Good Morning," the tall and handsome brunette greeted the hospital's receptionist. Said receptionist had been chatting idly on the phone inspecting her nails when she looked up. Eyes flickered down only for a second before snapping back up; jaw dropping. She almost dropped the phone.

"I...uh..." red rushed to her face as she took in the perfection before her. "Y-yes?"

Tilting his head, he smiled thinly. "Hyuuga Hinata. Could you please inform her that I am here? She works in the Children's Ward."

Still dazed, the receptionist's mind was on auto. "Um...may I ask who and why?"

"Of course. I'm..."

xxxxx

"Oh. My. God. Hinata. You _bitch_." Karin burst into one of the staff rooms with Sakura and Ino right behind her. The redhead looked ready to kill, Sakura and Ino looked stunned.

Hinata, who had been pulling out a small vial of medication, jumped. After a few seconds of fumbling to ensure the vial didn't drop, she turned to the three women, eyes wide. "W-what?" she spluttered, eyes wide. "W-what did I...?"

"You!" The brunette's shoulders were grabbed and Karin began to shake her back and forth. "Why didn't you tell us you were Uchiha Itachi's _girlfriend_? You've been holding out on us!"

_I am?_ "I...I am?" she squeaked, totally confused. She had gone on a total of three dates with the Uchiha brothers in the past month. They talked and messaged often but the idea of them becoming more had not yet come up. In the end, it wasn't something Hinata felt she was completely ready for.

The dates had been wonderful. When it came to 'attention' it was split evenly between them, although on their last date Sasuke had ended up having an emergency delivery to take care of and so it had only been her and Itachi. If that had upset the younger brother, he had yet to say anything. Maybe someone had seen them and that's where the assumption came from?

Those two were just...amazing. They made her feel so cherished and beautiful; she truly enjoyed her time with them. Even though they grew closer by the day Hinata still was holding back. Mostly because she knew if she did actually decide to become their girlfriend she _had_ to look at it as a permanent relationship. Not only that but she would have to accept both of them equally. They wouldn't accept anything less and she understood and respected that.

"Yes, you are!" Karin's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Hello? He's waiting down stairs for you right now!"

"Gotta admit, Hinata-chan," Ino shrugged. "I thought you would have at least told me or Forehead. We are friends, right?"

"I...we're not..." she began to wave her hands in a pacifying gesture. "We're not together! J-just...we're just friends!"

All three women gave her disbelieving stares at that and she blinked owlishly. What was their problem?

"Hinata." Karin waited until she had the Hyuuga's attention. "There is no such thing as 'being friends with Uchiha Itachi' for anything with two X chromosomes unless you're a lesbian. Are you a lesbian, Hinata?"

"No!" she protested loudly before slapping a hand over her mouth. "N-no." she repeated softer but firmly. "B-but...we're not...wait...he's downstairs?"

_Why_ was he downstairs?

Brain officially fried at this point, Hinata pushed past the girls and rushed down the stairwell to the main lobby where, sure enough, Itachi was waiting for her. Her shift was actually over and the brothers knew that. But why was he here?

When he saw her he blinked once before a small smile emerged and he met her halfway. "Good morning." He looked quite amused. "You look surprised."

Understatement. "W-well yes..."

The smile widened before he blinked and looked behind her. A brow rose. "Co-workers?"

Turning, Hinata saw three blurs – red, pink, and blonde – disappear behind the corner. Sighing, she looked at Itachi again. "Um...yes. Uh...they think you're my boyfriend?"

"Do they?" The smile dropped although he still seemed amused. "I certainly did not say such a thing. I _am_ here to pick you up...and take you on a date."

A surprise date? She was a little tired from working the night shift but he wouldn't have shown up if it wasn't important in some way. "Oh...well, let me just change and we can go."

"Take your time." Dark eyes darted behind her before flickering back to her face. "I'll...wait outside."

Giggling, Hinata hurried to the changing room, dressing in record time to keep from running into the girls again. She had no idea how she was going to face them next shift; they were going to demand answers and she really just wanted people to stay out of her business.

Tugging on her sweater lightly, she rushed down the steps to meet Itachi, giving him an apologetic smile. Jeans, sneakers, and a sweater wasn't really what one wore to a date. "I'm sorry I look messy," she began as she fell into step beside him "And um, I'll probably smell like the hospital..."

"You look, and smell, fine." He gently reassured and took her hand when they were out of sight. Holding back a sigh, she leaned into him, fighting back a blush. "I apologize for the last minute notice, we wanted to surprise you."

Speaking of which, "Where's Sasuke?" his lack of presence was actually becoming a habit. It was almost as if he was trying to find excuses for her to be alone with Itachi. It wasn't that she didn't mind, but it did hurt a little. Had she done or said something wrong? Was he maybe no longer as interested?

She loved being around Itachi; he was calm and romantic. Very intelligent and patient. Sasuke wasn't as poetic, but his blunt honesty and open intensity was equally desired. Together, they balanced each other perfectly; they were really like one person.

"He's gone ahead to the meeting place." If Itachi was upset by this he wasn't showing it. "We'll be taking the train."

_Really?_ "Oh. Where are we going?"

He smiled. "It wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you, now would it?" giggling, she leaned more into him and he put an arm around her shoulders in response.

Karin's words bounced around in her head. Itachi, her boyfriend? They had only been on a few dates and the three of them had been affectionate; although it hadn't gone past holding hands or chaste kisses goodnight. She had yet to go to their apartment or spend any real time with them and they had yet to ask her.

The fact that Sasuke had Itachi come get her when he usually was the one around her the most physically did not bypass her. Was he...doing it on purpose? If so, why?

Since the morning rush had already gone by the trains weren't very crowded. Because she was so tired she ended up sleeping on Itachi's shoulder for the entire ride. When he nudged her to awaken, one flicker up at the station's name told her everything.

"We're going to Ueno Park?" no longer tired, white eyes lit up with excitement. Ueno Park was very large and historical; it held a zoo, shrines, temples, and the Tokyo National Museum of Art. The latter was a place she had always wanted to go to but had been unable. When her class had gone for the field trip she had been sick and somehow or another she had never gotten around to going.

The Museum held a lot of historical artifacts from all over Asia and it was really the history aspect of it that appealed to her the most. Hinata loved ancient history and she definitely enjoyed all the pictures of the beautiful monuments, shrines, and other beautifully crafted items.

She couldn't believe it; Hinata had only briefly mentioned how she had never gotten a chance to go and she was sure that had been well over a year ago. When she beamed up at Itachi he smiled warmly and took her hand.

"I know you're probably tired," he began but she shook her head. She wasn't at all tired anymore and told him so.

"I've always really wanted to come here. Thank you so much." Taking his hand, they began to exit the station.

"It was Sasuke's idea, actually." That was when she saw it, his confusion. "In fact, many things that have happened between us have been his idea. He pushed for this from the beginning."

Hinata was stunned. "H-he did?"

"Yes." Now he sounded slightly confused and perplexed "I did not think it would work, doing something so brazen like this. He encouraged me to at least try and so we did. Sasuke strongly believed that the three of us could be together and happy."

"That..." sounded so unlike him. He always came off as being aloof and uncaring about anyone but himself. She knew that wasn't true but still. 'Sasuke' and 'considerate' did not belong in the same sentence.

Itachi must have picked up on her thoughts because he chuckled, giving her hand a gentle squeeze as they walked across the street that led to the massive park. "Like me, my brother has a side of him that he doesn't show many people. He's very passionate and emotional, he just hides it behind arrogance and indifference." He leaned close "He will probably never say it aloud, but he loves you the same as I. He grew up feeling as if he were my shadow, and so he created the mask you see to protect his true feelings from others. Eventually, you will get to see what I see."

She immediately felt horrible. Although he had never said the words aloud; in letters and messengers he had revealed his 'true self' to her. He wasn't as poetic or flowery with words as Itachi, but they held no less power and meaning.

It had been easy to connect one of the admirers to Itachi because there hadn't been much difference in the personalities. With Sasuke, the 'personality' in the letters had been little more than him opening up and letting down his guard. It was something that he, obviously, wasn't comfortable doing in her presence, but it didn't mean it didn't exist or he didn't care equally. Now she felt shallow for thinking him inconsiderate. If this entire plan had been Sasuke's idea, it meant he was nothing _but_ considerate.

And just like that, her feelings for the brothers increased drastically.

Sasuke was waiting for them at the starting path from the long fountain to the museum itself. Like her he was dressed in plain black pants, a dark blue turtleneck shirt and sneakers. Itachi always dressed business casual if not more elaborate, but that was because he was a businessman. His hands had been in his pockets until he spotted them. A small smirk gracing his handsome features, he walked over.

"Hey." He handed them tickets and Hinata a pamphlet. "Unfortunately, the Japanese exhibit is closed for renovations, but the main hall and everything else is open." He pointed to the other buildings. "It'll take hours to visit everything, though." He looked at Hinata "That's why we snagged you so early."

She nodded, understanding. Ueno Park was very massive. It held shrines, temples, a small zoo and the museum. There was also a very small amusement park; one could spend the entire day there and probably still not see everything it had to offer. "I'm fine with the museum." She fell into step between them, although Sasuke kept a small distance from them. The other to noticed but said nothing.

Hinata had a blast. The inner museum was massive and had quite a bit of Japanese historical items inside. There were some Chinese and Korean, but most of it was from ancient and classical Japan. She looked through all the exhibits, fascinated with everything.

Hinata poured over ancient scrolls that she could scarcely read although she tried. The paintings were just _amazing_ and the kimono were simply exquisite. She took in armor from the Sengoku era, the weapons and long bows that were probably longer than the individual who had wielded them. She took in the pottery, the furniture, all of it.

It wasn't until her stomach growled and she yawned that Hinata realized she was hungry _and_ tired. They hadn't even left the main building yet. The two brothers had walked behind her the entire time. Hovering and offering thin but genuine smiles when she would turn to them to point out an item of interest.

Itachi actually knew an alarming amount of history and sometimes the two would chat about something or another that interested both of them. Sasuke also seemed to know quite a bit, but he chimed in less. Hinata had been too excited to truly notice.

"It's almost three?" how time flew! They had arrived at around eleven since the park was about a two hour ride from where they lived. Even if they left now it would be dark by the time they returned. It didn't really matter since she didn't have work tomorrow, but she hadn't meant to keep them out all day either. "I'm so sorry...I got carried away."

"Idiot." A fist knocked on her head very lightly and Sasuke tilted his head and smirked. "That was the _point_ of bringing you here." Shrugging, he looked around. "Well, we'd have to go down the ramp for any real restaurants or we can stop in Tokyo or another place on the way back. There's some 'okay' places in the station itself. Whatever you wanna do, Hinata."

"Well, let's head back since it'll take a while and we'll stop wherever we feel like." Hinata suggested and they seemed fine with it.

Normally, if Hinata entered with one of them as if they were a couple the other would leave with her in the same fashion. Sasuke, however, avoided this, causing both Itachi and Hinata to give each other looks. He walked ahead, keeping his back turned.

Something hard settled in her stomach. Was he really...no longer interested in her? Had she truly done something wrong? Maybe now that they were spending real time together he realized that he had made a mistake?

A hand squeezed her shoulder and she looked up at Itachi. He smiled but it was slightly strained. "Don't." was all he needed to say.

They had stopped a few stations in their route and ate at a sushi go-round. It was rather good sushi and Hinata had found herself eating more plates than usual due to not having eaten anything since lunchtime yesterday. She didn't tell them that and they didn't ask.

Full, happy, and content, Hinata found herself dozing off lightly against Itachi on the train ride back. His arm was loose around her shoulders and she had just been about to completely fall asleep when she heard the deep rumble of Sasuke's voice.

"Aniki, I've been thinking..." he began quietly. There weren't many people on the train at the moment, but there were still a few individuals in their car, although off to the side.

"Would this thinking have something to do with Hinata?" the older brother looked down at her but she definitely looked fast asleep. "And why you're avoiding her?"

"Tch. I'm not _avoiding_ her..."

"Really."

Onyx met onyx before the younger male snorted and turned his head away. "I was wrong."

It took a lot for Hinata not to react and judging by the way Itachi tensed, he had an idea of what his brother was referring to. "Sasuke –"

"I wasn't really thinking about Hinata's situation when I brought it up." He cut off, still avoiding his brother's gaze. "We both liked the same person and the solution to the problem seemed simple. I didn't really think about how it would affect her life, because I figured if we all agreed it'd be fine."

Itachi fought the urge to sigh. "It is not a...well looked upon type of relationship, I agree."

"It's not just that." Leaning back, Sasuke looked up at the ceiling "Hinata's got a solid job that she likes doing. If word got out, she'd probably never see a promotion and trust me –" he gave his brother a look. "If _those_ three found out, it'd be all over the hospital in minutes. Then there's the fan brigade. She'd never get any peace; _we_ don't get any peace. I wasn't really thinking about any of that. We don't give a shit and we run our own business. Hinata's got more to lose."

"Otouto..." there was concern in his voice. "What are you trying to say?"

A sigh. "I'm saying that it'd be better if Hinata just stuck with one of us...and it might as well be you." He raised a hand before Itachi could protest. "Listen, you're better with words, you're _way_ better at the dating thing and she'd be happier with you. Also, you're not around her co-workers as often since you don't really know them. Hinata gets to keep her private life just that."

The older brother frowned heavily. "Sasuke, we would not even _be_ where we are right now had you not suggested this. All of this, slowly approaching Hinata, showing her how we felt in a safe but confidential manner...all of it was _your_ idea. I never would have thought to do this, I would have let the matter drop and neither of us would have pursued her. At the very least, tell Hinata the truth. I know you; you will do something rash and foolish."

"It's better this way."

She'd had enough. Slowly, she sat up, startling both males. Pearl-colored eyes locked onto surprised onyx and she frowned at Sasuke. "You know...if you really feel bad about not c-considering my situation, maybe you should start doing it." Her small hands clenched into fists, she was very upset. She understood what Sasuke was doing; she really did, but still. "Maybe you could start asking _me_ how I feel before you make decisions _for_ me."

The younger brother's jaw worked for a moment before he found his voice, matching her frown. "You can't tell me I'm wrong, you know."

Oh no, he was _not_ going to avoid the subject. Shaking her head, she turned to face him fully, making him scoot back a bit in his seat. "That's not the point!" she kept her voice low despite being upset. "I'm happy about the fact that you approached me the way you did, that you waited patiently for me to come around and accept your feelings. It was sweet and considerate. I know you two truly care about me.

"But I am _here_ with _you_ and I _deserve_ to be a part of the decision making process now. You showed me the kind of choice I could make with what you gave me. I could decide to be your friend or...g-girlfriend." She fought her blush, she was supposed to be upset, damnit. "Now you're taking that choice away from me and you weren't even going to give me a say in it? That's not fair, Sasuke."

"I'm trying to _help_ you!" he ignored the looks he got when his voice rose. Screw them. "I was an idiot, alright? I was being selfish; I'm pretty damn good at it. I'm telling you, it's better this way."

"It's not your decision to make!" Itachi's arm tightened around her shoulder, but only to comfort, not to hold her back. She leaned back slightly against him, grateful for the support. He didn't agree with Sasuke either, but he wasn't going to jump into the fight. It was between them. "I should decide whether or not I want to take on the consequences of this. I'm twenty-five, not fifteen; I understood what I was doing when I agreed to this."

Sasuke leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "You can't tell me for one _second_ you'd seriously be okay with this, Hinata."

She didn't even blink. "Sasuke, do you love me?"

Flinching, he sat back, forcing himself to school his expression to something neutral. "You know the answer to that."

Hinata shook her head. "That's not what I asked you, Sasuke. Please answer the question honestly."

Silence. They faced off, their expressions grim and determined. Although Sasuke was probably right and this would be easier for her; she was acting on her emotions – as she had been from the beginning – and this was not how she wanted it to end. They came to _her_ and she accepted. If she was going to back out, it would be on _her_ terms, not theirs.

The brothers suddenly locked gazes. Itachi's arm tightened and she could practically feel him frowning. "Otouto." His voice was firm. "This is not a time for pride."

Sasuke's gaze snapped to pearl. "Yes." He answered stiffly. She closed her eyes briefly.

"Please...walk me back to my apartment." it was not a question and the look she gave him spoke ill of his fate should he refuse. He hesitated before agreeing.

Although outwardly she looked passive and calm, in reality she was very upset with him. All that patience he had displayed over the past year and a half, all the kind words and heartfelt letters. She knew because of Itachi just how dedicated both of them were to her but it was _Sasuke_ who had decided to try out such a crazy plan and _now_ he wanted to back out of it? Before she could even make a decision? He was just going to dump her without even talking about it first? Absolutely not.

Hinata would _not_ be excluded from anything deciding their relationship – good or bad – from here on out. They were going to sit down and talk things out like rational adults because as miffed as she was at Sasuke she cared about him and Itachi. She loved their smiles, how comfortable she could be around them. She loved how nothing about them was fake, how completely devoted they seemed to be towards her.

She loved how the brothers would tease each other and how they would tease her. She loved the intelligent conversations she would have with Itachi and she loved the warm smile that would flicker on the normally stoic younger brother's face when he _thought_ no one was looking. It only emerged when the three of them were together. Sasuke was _happy_ with the three of them together and so was Itachi.

As for her...she...

When they reached her apartment door she turned to the brothers. Itachi had maneuvered their positions subtly so that Sasuke was in front and therefore facing Hinata. He looked unapologetic and stubborn; he truly did feel that he was doing what was best for her.

Too bad it wasn't _his_ decision to make. She was a grown woman who had understood the implications when she had first agreed. Had it truly bothered her _that_ much she never would have agreed. However, she knew Sasuke. Unless she got him to agree now he would avoid her and nothing would ever get solved. She would probably lose him and Itachi would probably back away despite Sasuke's words. Hinata wouldn't blame him either. This wasn't going to solve anything and she needed a bit to think on what she truly wanted to do.

She needed Sasuke's cooperation. That meant she was going to have to suck it up and play dirty. Hinata didn't want to lose them because...because...

"Hinata..." he began but was cut off when she framed his face in her hands and kissed him tentatively. The moment she did that, her fingers slid up, soft pads brushing along the shell of Sasuke's ear.

He shivered and practically melted in her arms. His own wrapped around her slender frame and he tilted his head, tongue darting out to brush along her lips. A soft moan came from her partner when her fingers began to gently rub along his ears. They trailed lightly around the outer shell and behind, eliciting another shiver.

Parting, she kissed lightly along his jaw and stood on her toes until her lips brushed along his – now obvious – sweet spot. Hinata had to admit that this was rather exhilarating, making cool and hard Uchiha Sasuke writhe and moan just by playing with his ears. Of course, she was as red as anything yet at the same time excited and a little powerful. "Sasuke?" she whispered softly.

A small pause. "Yeah." The response was slightly strained.

"Sasuke I...I would like to come over to your apartment tomorrow." She blew air lightly into his ear and he let out a light curse. "Is that alright?"

"Wh-whatever you want, Hinata." He was trying to pull her flush against his body but she trailed her fingers along his other ear to distract. He let out a small groan and closed his eyes. He whispered something but it had been too low for her to register.

Licking her lips – a part of her was horrified at being so manipulative but another part of her was thoroughly enjoying the amount of power she had with so little influence – she brushed them lightly against sensitive skin. His hands began to slide up her sides.

"U-um...maybe five or six o'clock?" she offered, sounding slightly breathy.

"Shit." It came out soft and in a rush. "Y-yeah. Whenever, I don't care."

She knew she was starting to get carried away but couldn't help herself. Some of it was her a little miffed at the way he had been about to just dump her without even saying a word. Had she not overheard, she never would have seen it coming. Reminding herself of that and how hurt she would have felt made her feel a little less guilty as she trailed her tongue up his ear.

"I'd like to sit down and...talk about us. M-maybe you could make us dinner?" she knew both brothers were good cooks, Sasuke had grudgingly admitted to it once or twice.

The groan that emerged was somewhat loud. "Yes." His grip became borderline painful as he dipped his head and began to trail hot kisses along her neck. Teeth sank lightly into his earlobe. "_Fuck_ yes," he breathed. "_whatever_ you want to eat, Hina."

When he began nipping at her neck she pulled him up instead. His lips locked hard with hers and he actually made a small noise of protest when she pulled away from him. Not that she was unaffected. Her face was flushed and her breathing was slightly labored. Her white gaze flickered to Itachi who looked absolutely amused beyond belief at what just happened.

Resisting the urge to giggle, she continued to pull away and the younger brother tried to pull her back but she shook her head.

Taking a few steps closer, he tried again. "Come here, Hina." He practically purred the words but she knew better. He was no longer quite in a logical state of mind and she had what she wanted. They would sit down and _talk_ whether he liked it or not. Tonight she would seriously dwell on her feelings towards the two brothers and how she wanted their relationship to go.

She did allow him one last brief kiss before she pulled away, opening the door to her apartment. "Good night, Sasuke." Confusion filled smoldering onyx eyes right as the door closed in his face.

Silence. Itachi stood off a bit, keeping his head turned away from his brother who was just _staring_ at the brown door that was Hinata's apartment. When the silence got to be too long, Itachi could no longer hold it in and snorted.

"You told her." Sasuke wasn't looking at his brother which was probably a good thing as he was having a difficult time keeping a straight face.

"I'm sorry?" a dark brow rose. "I told who what?"

His little brother took a breath and let it out. He still stared at the door. "You know _what_, you're the only one who could have told her...about _that_."

"Well, perhaps me and the woman who..."

"Aniki."

Itachi coughed which helped prevented him from laughing. "Yes, otouto?"

"I...I fucking hate you."

This time he did start chuckling and turned to leave. "I _might_ have told Hinata about a certain..._weakness_ of yours. I never suggested she use it in..." a cough "such a manner."

Turning, Sasuke glared at his brother in borderline genuine anger. "I fucking hate both of you." He muttered and Itachi politely ignored the uncomfortable limp the other was sporting as they began to head out. "Do you know how long it's been since I've gotten..." he took another calming breath. "_Why_ did you tell her that?"

"I wouldn't be a big brother if I didn't tell your significant other all of the things you'd rather her _not_ know. Besides, you completely deserved it, Sasuke. No woman enjoys being spurned, especially the way you were going to do it. Even sweet Hinata has her limits."

"Yeah, I _see_ that." He muttered dryly. "She's _your_ significant other too."

"Yes, but I make it a point not to tell you anything that could be incriminating at a later date. Besides, I would not _willingly_ do anything to incite her wrath. The one thing a man never wants to do is infuriate his significant other. Their lives tend to become hellish."

"Fuck!" Sasuke was absolutely frustrated. A cold shower was _not_ going to solve this. "How am I supposed to walk home?" He was _so_ getting Itachi and Hinata _back_ for this. Especially Hinata, that seductive, incredibly sexy...damnit, she was going to _get hers_. If she agreed to be with them he was going to do many, _many_ things to exact his revenge. It'd be a little harder to get back at Itachi, but he'd find a way.

Damn, his pants were _very_ uncomfortable right now.

"I'll call a cab." Itachi decided to take pity on his poor brother. At least it was night; not many would notice his...problem. As he opened his cell phone, he tried to hide his smirk...and failed. Well, he hadn't really been _trying_ to begin with. "So then, have we reconsidered our decision to break things off with Hinata?"

The grin widened at the glare he was given. "You could say that." Came the growl and he tried his best not to limp noticeably towards their taxi.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN**: Final chapter. No lemons, sorry guys. There's a tiny bit of lime at the end but I wasn't entirely sure if I wanted to go the lemon route for this fic. For those disappointed, there is the Advent Challenge on Live Journal that I'm participating in and there will be...1 ItaHinaSasu smut and...gods if I know how many other threesome fics that were requested. The challenge starts December 1st!

xxxxx

**4**

xxxxx

She knew the moment she stepped foot inside the apartment that Sasuke had already begun his revenge. The sweet smell of red beans and cinnamon buns filled her senses. A soft sigh of disappointment escaped when she saw a small box labeled 'SOUP KITCHEN'.

Oh, that _meanie_!

The moment she looked at Itachi as he took her coat she knew no help was coming from the older brother. Her pearl-colored eyes had shined up at him with hope – just one, please? – and was met with amusement. He shook his head once and she knew then she was on her own.

Just as Itachi didn't stop their battle last night, he wasn't going to do it now. Damn.

"Good evening, Hinata." Itachi greeted and pulled her into his arms. With a small smile she wrapped her arms around his neck as lips descended on hers. Still holding her, she turned to Sasuke who was pointedly ignoring her in the kitchen as he cooked. She felt the older brother's warm breath near her ear as he leaned down. "He's a brat," he told her "But he's been in there all day fretting over what you'd want to eat and what not."

Her gaze was hopeful once more "Do you think maybe I could talk him into giving me just one?"

Itachi chuckled. "Well, you're more than welcome to try."

"I know you're talking about me over there." Sasuke still wasn't looking at them. "Dinner'll be ready soon."

"We are only discussing how much we love you, Sasuke." Itachi came in and earned a loud snort for his efforts.

Wringing her hands, Hinata took a few steps towards the kitchen, the older brother behind her. "U-um...good evening, Sasuke."

Dark eyes slid over to her and he blinked once as he took in her cute pale purple top and cream skirt. He turned away. "Hn."

Her small and shaky smile faltered at the flat tone. She supposed she couldn't blame him for being angry with her. She would probably have to make it up to him somehow. Hinata really did feel guilty for her actions last night, even if they had been fueled mostly by anger and slight desperation. She knew there were just some things one didn't do to a man and teasing him like that was one of them.

Slowly, she walked inside the kitchen, taking in the delicious smells of various food stuffs. There was teriyaki chicken – which seemed to smell sweet, bless his heart – miso soup, rice, and various assortments of steamed vegetables. No seafood, to which she was grateful. She liked fish and that was about it.

"Um...S-Sasuke?" he was stirring the miso as she came closer. He gave her another quick glance but remained silent. She bit her lip. "I-I'm...really sorry." She said sincerely, folding her hands up near her chest. "What I did...I was upset and a-afraid."

She had his full attention. "Afraid?" He didn't seem to quite understand.

"Afraid of losing you...both of you."

He opened his mouth for a moment before closing it with a small snap. How did she do that? He had planned to stay angry with her for at least half of the night. How could he stay angry when she had to go and say something like _that_?

With a sigh, he raised his ladle full of soup and motioned for her closer. "Try this for me?" that was as much of a peace offering as she was going to get.

She flashed him a smile that never failed to make him feel funny – in a good way – and leaned forward. Right as she did he dipped his head, one hand grabbing the back of her neck as their lips connected in a rough kiss. She made a muffled sound and tried to pull away instinctively for a second before calming down.

Then she yelped and jumped back as his hand slid underneath her skirt and copped a very generous feel of her behind. Hinata's face was blazing red as he laughed, taking in how her hands were smoothing her skirt.

"T-that's not f-funny!" she exclaimed, pouty.

"Stop whining." He rolled his eyes. "You made me uncomfortable," Understatement, "I made you uncomfortable. Now we're even and I'll even be nice and let you eat some of the cinnamon buns." A small pause. "You're welcome."

Hinata tried to continue to look huffy, but at the small boyish grin on his face she found herself smiling as well. Just like that the tension was gone and she left the kitchen, snatching up one of the buns – just in case he changed his mind.

Itachi was sitting on the couch and so she joined him, sitting close. He motioned for her to shift so that her back was leaning against his side. She had been a little hesitant at first but then complied, enjoying the comfort of their plush couch as she stretched her legs. A blush stained her cheeks when he put an arm around her middle.

There was nothing really on the television so she twisted her body a bit so she could somewhat look at Itachi. "Is it you or Sasuke that hates sweets?"

"_Definitely_ Sasuke." He said with a small smile. "He's never liked sweets, even as a child. Whenever mother would try and sweeten something like one would with a _normal_ child to get them to eat, Sasuke would refuse. It took her a while to realize that he was the only child in the _world_ that hates sweet things."

"You're the freaks," Sasuke came in, scowling from the kitchen. "not me. You're lucky you have a freakish metabolism, aniki, or you'd be a fat ass with no teeth. If you could, you'd eat dangos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

"You forgot afternoon and midnight snack." Came the tease and Sasuke rolled his eyes, muttering 'hopeless' as he turned back to the food.

"Oh. Well...that's too bad." Hinata felt that he really didn't know what he was missing out on. Poor, deprived Sasuke. Breaking off a piece of her baked delight, she held it up to the older sibling, white eyes peeking up "Would you like a piece?"

"I would love to." Instead of taking it from her hand, however, he gently grabbed her wrist. His mouth closed over the morsel and her fingers, tongue sliding over skin before he pulled back. His smile was nothing short of drop dead sexy as he ate her offering. Hinata was merely trying not to faint.

"Hn. It truly is unfortunate Sasuke doesn't like sweets." Itachi mused as he looked back at his brother who had glanced back over at them. A brow rose before the younger made a noise.

"I'm telling you, Hinata," Sasuke smirked when her gaze shifted to him but she looked clearly dazed. "_I'm_ not the one you need to watch out for. It's always the quiet ones."

"Don't listen to my otouto," the other brother's arm tightened around her. "he is only trying to frighten you." He ignored Sasuke's loud snort. "I am completely different from all of those other men who do nothing but think about sex."

"Ha! Tell us another one! You might want to move, Hinata, unless you wanna get struck by lightning too."

Sighing almost dramatically, Itachi looked down at Hinata who wasn't sure if she wanted to giggle or die of embarrassment by the conversation. "This is what I live with. I'm such a good and faithful brother –"

"Bullshit." It was coughed out.

"and this is my reward." Hinata was now giggling at this point and he bent down to kiss her forehead. "Every night I go to bed in tears, he's so cruel to me, Hinata."

Playing along, she reached up and patted his cheek. "Poor Itachi, Sasuke should be nicer to you."

"Traitor." Leaving the kitchen, Sasuke began to close the distance between them, dark eyes filled with mischief. It wasn't until he was already upon them that Hinata realized what he was about to do. Squeaks of protest filled the air as she was hefted up on his shoulder.

Wiggling, she kicked her legs about but Sasuke had a solid grip and was walking around the living room. Itachi chuckled which gained him a squeak of mocked outrage from Hinata at his betrayal. Flopping her down on the couch after a few disorienting spins around the living room, Hinata jumped on the older brother who had left her for fend for herself.

Laughter ensued as the two wrestled playfully and Sasuke went back to finishing up dinner. More squeaking, a few more yelps and then Hinata found herself pinned down on the couch. Long black hair tickled her cheeks and neck as Itachi leaned closer, his hair pulled out of its trademark ponytail. Both were panting, faces flushed, but it was the Uchiha who spoke up first.

"Hinata," his expression was serious "Thank you. For being with us like this, even if it will just be for a little while." Her eyes widened and he smiled thinly. "Despite the ups and downs, we have genuinely been happy for the first time in a long while."

Blinking back tears, Hinata could do nothing but nod slowly. "I...I..."

"Hey you guys," Sasuke called out "Food's done."

Dinner was relatively quiet but no one was bothered by this. It was companionable silence and it allowed Hinata to continue to delve into her thoughts concerning their situation. It was when they finished that Hinata finally spoke up.

"I've made a decision."

Two sets of dark eyes turned to her with bland, stoic expressions. She knew better than to let that fool her. Taking a deep breath, she motioned for them to sit on either side of her on the couch and took their hands.

"Even though I was upset last night," she began, turning her gaze to Sasuke. "Y-you're right. If people found out, it would make me look bad and I would probably never get promoted. There would be a l-lot of gossip and my family would never accept it. We would have to hide everything about us and that's not fair."

She looked down at her lap. "No matter what, it won't be easy. I...I don't want to hide. Hiding would make me feel as if I'm ashamed to be around one of you and...and I wouldn't be. Being with you – _both_ of you – makes me happy."

"It wouldn't bother us, you know." Sasuke squeezed her hand. "We had a while to think and come to terms with all the crap that would go down because of this."

Itachi remained silent, a thoughtful frown on his face. Taking a small breath, Hinata continued.

"And then there's your um...fan girls..." the younger brother frowned at that. "They already harass you and it'd only get worse for you two..."

"Then we'll move." Itachi deadpanned, closing his eyes. This got him stunned looks. "I do not mind moving an hour or so away by train for work. We would not have to hide from your friends or family unless you wished it and even if you did, there would be little they could do with the distance. We will keep to ourselves as we always do. Hinata, if she so desired, could transfer over to the new hospital. I am sure it would be easier on her considering her...co-workers."

Sasuke looked about to protest but then noticed Hinata giggling. Confusion emerged – she was actually _okay_ with such a crazy idea?

"Actually," Hinata turned to Itachi, smiling. "I was thinking the same thing." She giggled when Sasuke gave her a look that clearly showed he thought she was off her rocker. "No matter where we go people won't be accepting but it'll be much easier to keep to ourselves and have a fresh start in a new city. I love the hospital I work in but with the others it's a bit too stressful. It's okay if I don't get any huge promotions in the future because it means I'll be able to spend more time with you."

"Hina..." she turned back to Sasuke who was giving her a very strange look that she couldn't decipher. "So what are you trying to say?"

Her smile warmed. He tried so hard not to show just how emotional he truly was. Not that Itachi was overly expressive, but he also made his feelings more openly known. She liked it like this, however, because they truly were the perfect balance. Different but the same.

"I-I'm saying that I..." she squeezed both of their hands. "I want t-to be with you. With both of you. A fresh start w-where we don't have to worry about anything but being h-happy. I'd like that. Because I..." she looked down at their hands, how hers dwarfed theirs.

"Because I'm...in love with you too."

xxxxx

"Hinata-chaaaannnn!" Ino latched onto the brunette, hugging her tightly. "You can't leave me here alone with Forehead and Bitchy McQueen! Stay pleaasseeee!"

Karin bristled "What did you call me, you fat pig?" Sakura held the other woman back with a sigh. "Come and say that to my face!"

"Calm _down_, Karin..." Sakura sighed again. Really, this girl was too much sometimes. "It's Hinata-chan's last day."

The older woman adjusted her glasses. "_She_ started it!"

Hinata raised her hands in a pacifying gesture "Guys..."

"Promise you'll come visit us lots, Hinata-chan." Ino continued to snuggle, rubbing her cheek on Hinata's shoulder. "Lots and lots! It won't be the same without you!"

Blinking back tears, Hinata hugged the blonde back. "I p-promise Ino-chan." She would not cry.

It was the end of their shift and so everyone quickly cleaned up from the small going away party they had thrown. Hinata was going to be transferring over to the hospital almost two hours away by train. Grabbing the last of her things from her locker she did one last walk around the Children's Ward, sniffling. She truly would miss it here.

A hand settled on her shoulder and she turned to Sakura who smiled. "We're going to miss you, Hinata-chan." She told the other woman. "Good luck, okay?" The two women hugged.

"Don't you two look cute."

"Sasuke-kun!" face lighting up, Sakura flashed him a smile and got a thin one in return. "What are you doing here?"

Ino and Karin had rounded the corner by that point, chatting – or rather arguing – right as the Uchiha snaked an arm around Hinata's waist. White eyes widened in horror at the smirk that emerged right as he bent down and kissed her.

"What...the hell?" Karin's voice came in as the three stood there dumbfounded.

Still smirking, he pulled back. "Ready to go, Hina?" Too embarrassed to respond, he began to guide her along. He gave the girls a quick wave. "See ya."

"Hey, wait a second!" Karin recovered first while Ino and Sakura looked at each other, clearly surprised. "I thought she was dating Itachi!"

"So did I..." Sakura was a little miffed, Hinata was bouncing between the two brothers? And why did Sasuke like Hinata? Everyone knew that he had never had a girlfriend – although there were rumors that he had slept around with a few women – so what in the world?

"I'm getting to the bottom of this." The redhead grabbed Sakura's arm. "C'mon, Hinata's got some explaining to do." Not really wanting to protest – even though she wasn't pleased with being tugged around – she followed.

Ino watched them round the corner and then sighed, shrugging. She wasn't so much into gossip now that she had a boyfriend but she _was_ curious. Really, she wouldn't have thought Hinata would have had it in her. She was kind of proud.

The three followed from a distance, hiding behind a corner as the couple reached the main lobby. All three gasped when they saw Itachi there. So wait, did they break up and now Sasuke was...

"What the fuck?" Karin all but shouted it when Itachi closed the distance and _also_ kissed Hinata, causing her to blush.

Both brothers turned to the eavesdroppers. Itachi had a faint smile on his face and Sasuke was downright smirking. One had an arm around Hinata's waist, the other around her shoulders. Hinata, embarrassed beyond belief, couldn't even turn to look at them.

They waved at the girls. "We'll send you an invitation to our house warming party." Sasuke said and with that, the three turned and left.

xxxxx

_Four Months Later..._

"Hina." Sasuke sounded annoyed as he watched his girlfriend titter around their house, making noises and moving things around. "It's really not _that_ hard to figure out where a picture should go."

Huffing, she frowned at him before turning to Itachi who had just walked out of their bedroom. His hair was down and he was in dark red night pants that hung low on his hips. He held a mug of coffee in one hand and he looked tired. A yawn. "What are you two fussing about now?"

"Itachi-kun..." she put her hands on her hips and giggled when he lightly pecked her cheek before shuffling over to his desk. "Sasuke-kun is giving me a hard time about decorating. Again."

With a sigh, the older sibling opened his laptop as he sat down. "Sasuke. Stop giving Hinata a hard time about decorating the house."

Snorting, Sasuke got up off the couch and began to stalk towards Hinata. "She's being a brat, aniki, don't listen to her." He tried to snatch her up in his arms but she deftly moved out of his grasp and rushed over to Itachi, wrapping her arms around his neck from behind.

He smiled slightly when she placed a kiss on his slender neck. Leaning back against her, he sighed. "You should make him do all the work since he's complaining so much." He teased and Sasuke made a noise as he neared, wrapping his arms around Hinata's waist. "Believe it or not, he has an...eye for these sort of things. Did I tell you about the time when Sasuke and Naruto ki –" Itachi jumped when teeth sank into his neck as his brother bit him hard. "Sasuke, that was quite unnecessary."

"Shut up." He growled, burying his face in Hinata's neck, earning him a giggle. "I'm _not_ gay. Or bi." He snapped when Hinata opened her mouth. It closed and she hugged Itachi tighter.

"You know..." resting her chin on Itachi's shoulder, she closed her eyes when slender fingers began to move through her hair. "You've been working so hard. I was thinking maybe the three of us could take a vacation. You're always so tired, I think a break would be good for you."

He looked thoughtful. "You have a point. I think I may be able to take some time off in the next month or so if I do a few more overtime shifts..."

"Or you could _hire_ some more people." Sasuke drawled, rolling his eyes. "Seriously, you yen pincher, we make more than enough. I checked the numbers. We're not going to go bankrupt if you hire and promote a few folks."

"I'm _not_ a yen pincher," the older male defended, meaning that he was quite tired at this point. Itachi was never defensive or snappish unless very tired. "There are merely many delicate things that I feel I should be present for –"

"You mean you're a perfectionist."

Closing his mouth, Itachi turned back to his laptop, knowing a set up when he saw it. Unfortunately, he wasn't going to be let off the hook so easily. He began to twitch as fingers gently slid up his sides and his jaw set. "Hinata..." that little _minx_.

"Itachi-kun," she began to kiss his neck, hands sliding up and down his sides. He tensed when they moved over his abdomen. "Sasuke-kun is right."

Great. She was siding with his brother. Now he knew he wasn't going to win the fight. That was just the way it worked in their relationship; whoever took the other's side in an argument usually won. "I can cut back on the hours but then I would have to postpone any vacation plans for another few months."

"You should have more faith in your employees." She lightly chided and he fought not to frown. They were right and he knew it, but watching the Uchiha company go down due to their father's complacency wasn't something he wanted to fall victim to. Their business was doing well, he wanted it to stay that way. Even Uchiha Itachi had insecurities.

"I have plenty of faith in my employees." He sighed again and realized it was becoming a rather annoying habit. He'd have to stop. "Besides, vacations take time to plan. If we do not want to spend an arm and a leg, we would need to..." he was cut off as Sasuke slapped a pamphlet on his brother's desk with a picture of Hawaii on the front. Dark eyes widened when he opened it to find three tickets and a full itinerary inside.

"I see." Slowly, he closed the information packet. "I've been set up."

Hinata kissed his cheek. "Sasuke-kun said it was the only way we would get you to go."

He was right, but Itachi wasn't going to give his little brother the satisfaction of gloating about it. They had meant well, even if it would be a pain in the ass to arrange everything in the next week or so to accommodate their departure next Sunday. Two weeks in Hawaii. It would be nice, especially since the three of them could be as open as they wanted and no one would care.

They still weren't as open about their relationship in public, but they weren't entirely private either. They took turns giving Hinata attention if all three went out but lately it had mostly been Sasuke and Hinata as Itachi had been working a lot. All of their friends back in their old city knew and no longer cared – although they teased Hinata mercilessly for snagging _both_ Uchiha.

The three lived like any normal couple in their small town house. They argued about as often, loved about as often, hung out about as often. The brothers would try and make the other jealous, but it was always in good fun and never taken seriously.

They loved Hinata and she loved them, their relationship was harmonious. Well, as harmonious as it could be with three lovers living under the same roof.

"Well, I will just have to figure something out." He finally responded. Closing his eyes briefly, he closed the laptop and moved to stand. With little warning, he shifted and then Hinata was in his arms with a small squeak. She always protested when they did this but both brothers knew she actually liked the attention. Looking down at her, he smirked. "Since you _obviously_ wish for me to pay you more attention, I shall endeavor to do just that." Giggling, she wrapped her arms around his neck as he began to walk towards the bedroom.

"As for you, Sasuke," his brother paused at being addressed as he followed them. "You can finish decorating the house." And with that the bedroom door closed in his face.

Sasuke stared at it for only a moment before snorting. "Like _hell_." Wrenching open the door, a wicked grin emerged as he closed it behind him, stalking towards the bed.

xxxxx

The room was unbearably hot, the only sounds were heavy breathing. Fingers and teeth dug into shoulders as the younger brother shuddered, grunting lightly. The older moaned lightly into the mouth of his lover as they both reached their peak at the same time. Tension left all three as they relaxed, strong arms around a soft and curvy body.

Hinata snuggled up to Itachi, resting her head on his chest. He closed his eyes, an arm loosely around her waist. Sasuke held her from behind, his hand interlaced with hers as buried his face in the crook of her neck, something he seemed to enjoy doing. A relaxed sigh left the older brother this time and he ignored Hinata's giggle and his brother's knowing smirk.

Okay, he needed to relax more. He got the point. Squeezing Hinata – and earning himself another soft giggle – he smiled in contentment. Never in a million years would he had ever thought they would have come to the point they were at. He had thought the plan impossible and impracticable. Have her fall for both of them? Have a real relationship? Nonsense.

Yet here she was, snuggled against his chest. His brother was already falling asleep – he was always the first – and he had to admit that he was genuinely happy. Hinata had fit into their lives easily although intimacy had been hella awkward at first. Eventually they had just 'fallen' into it.

He should have realized that they were worried about them, they wouldn't have taken such drastic measures otherwise. Itachi decided he would make it up on the trip. He might love them differently, but he still loved them. They loved each other. A perfect love for a not so perfect life. But it was theirs and, if the smiles on the faces of his brother and lover meant anything, they were fine with that.


End file.
